Carlton Cole has been charged with 'improper conduct' following comments made on social network Twitter during the recent England v Ghana friendly.
In the latest of a series of farcical decisions from the game's ruling body, the West Ham striker has been charged following a tweet posted during the recent Wembley friendly, which ended 1-1."Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha," read the apparently offensive post - which was swiftly followed by another reading: "The only way to get our safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face with the St George's flag!"
Having received replies stating that his light-hearted comments could be misconstrued, Cole - whose mother hails from Sierra Leone and father from Nigeria - then tweeted: "To my Ghanaian brothers don't take it so seriously, it's just jokes! You've played well! Done Africa proud!"
However the FA have failed to see the funny side and a statement on their website tonight read: "The FA has today charged West Ham United’s Carlton Cole with Improper Conduct relating to media comments.
"The charge relates to comments made on Twitter during the England v Ghana fixture on Tuesday 29 March 2011. Cole has until 4pm on 13 April to respond to the charge."
Cole's charge follows that of manager Avram Grant, who was charged with the same offence in February after he (rightly) criticised referee Mike Jones for his appalling performance in the Stoke FA Cup quarter final.
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